The Marble and the Sculptor: From Law School to Law Practice

by Keith Robert Lee

Let's face it. The entire legal industry is in a state of flux. If you're a new lawyer in today's economy, you're probably asking yourself one of the following
These questions weigh on you and keep you awake at night, along with thoughts like "Was going to law school really the right decision?" or "Should I be doing something else with my life?" If you aren't asking yourself these questions, you are ignoring the world to your detriment.
Written from the in-the-trenches perspective of a young lawyer, The Marble and the Sculptor provides a clear no-nonsense path from law school to lawyering. It presents a fundamental understanding of what is expected of new attorneys and a framework for becoming a successful—both as a lawyer and in life. With advice on everything from choosing classes that matter in law school to the importance of writing well, attracting clients, and avoiding five basic mistakes in your first job at a law firm, this book is destined to become the go-to guide for all young lawyers regardless of law school or area of practice. Simply put, if you care at all about practicing law, you can’t afford not to read it.

Genres: Business, Law

300 pages, Paperback

First published October 7, 2013

Reviews

[Clark · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bunch of blog posts condensed into book form. I can't say that I learned anything useful from this book at all. Lots of common-sense advice "learn to write well/learn to speak well/learn to dress well". Literally, the only thing that I found useful here was the chapter on object-biased and subject-biased sentences. I found the rest to be a bunch of filler. Totally fine to read on a blog to kill some time on the lunch hour or for some daily inspiration but in terms of shelling out $25 for a book filled with it? Pass.

I will say that it was an easy and quick read. If you could find it at your local library and you just want some encouragement to stick things out, probably worth checking out and powering through over a weekend.

[Jonathan Rolfe · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great book to read to prepare for a career transition! Geared toward new lawyers but applies to anyone setting out in a new profession.

Covers a lot of territory in a few pages, including the inanity of the advice to "Follow Your Passion," becoming really good at one or two things, Steven Pressfield's theory of "resistance," and Cal Newport's concept of "deep work." He has original things to say about work ethic, humility, improving one's writing, building integrity, producing quality work, working for yourself, and working for others.

Well written. Quick and easy to read. Great links to additional resources and further reading. I'm glad I read it.

[Andrew MacKie-Mason · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't bad, and mostly I think it was right. (I do think the "writing is thinking" advice is wrong—writing is communicating, and most bad writing is bad because it's too much like thinking.) At the end of the day, though, there just isn't much new in this book, either content or presentation. I can see why a certain set of online legal personalities are excited about it, but it was way over-hyped. Also, it could have done with another pass from an editor's pen.

[Nicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is nothing particularly ground-breaking in this book - it follows the theme of working hard and having integrity. But it is a nice compendium of advice from other thought leaders, like Cal Newport.